Zhu, Hengrui;
(2025)
Moisture and Brick Cavity Masonry: Performance and Properties of Surface Treated Waterproofing Products.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Moisture ingress is a significant contributor to damage in masonry cavity walls. A range of products with various chemical compositions are commercially available for surface treatment of walls, with the objective of mitigate or eliminate water ingress. This study aims to identify the impact of surface-waterproofing on the moisture performance of masonry cavity structures and quantify the performance and durability variation of water-repellent surface treated materials under exposure through a series of laboratory tests at varying scales. The overarching goal is to determine the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of coupling external surface treatment with cavity insulation as a retrofitting measure for a substantial number of homes in exposed areas of the UK, enhancing both their moisture and energy performance, extending their longevity in light of evolving climatic conditions and carbon reduction initiatives. A series of tests have been designed at various scales to address these objectives, encompassing small-scale tests that measure hydrophobicity, water absorption, water vapour transmission, representing the lifecycle of the wall response to wind-driven rain (WDR) exposure in the form of a 3-stage process. Further, a set of full-scale wall tests, following a testing protocol designed to quantify water ingress into uninsulated and insulated brick masonry cavity walls exposed to WDR was carried out. Four distinct waterproofing products, comprising acrylic and stearate-based liquids, and silane/siloxane blend liquid and cream were selected for testing. along with three brick types common in the 50s and 60s representing the majority of the UK building stock. The findings demonstrated that the treatments indeed enhance the surface hydrophobicity and reduce water absorption while allowing water vapour permeability, to differing degrees. The proposed testing protocol proves effective in determining the performance of waterproofing treatments exposed to different levels of WDR.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Moisture and Brick Cavity Masonry: Performance and Properties of Surface Treated Waterproofing Products |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Civil, Environ and Geomatic Eng |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10205379 |
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